The smartphone in your pocket is stealing the moment you came to church to find. A new argument says these devices break the silence needed to hear God. Matthew D. Love writes that pulling out a phone interrupts thoughts and divides attention. We become more focused on the screen than on the people around us.
Love argues that the first job of a Christian is to listen. According to reports, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” Yet many people carry their usual bad habits right into the sanctuary. The service is designed to help hearts settle before the sermon starts. But a vibrating phone or a lit screen ruins that stillness.
Christians are supposed to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Asking whether we can truly manage that while our minds are on our phones, Love queries. Distractions will always exist, but we should not go out and invite more of them. The preparation for hearing God evaporates the second a screen lights up.
While phones distract some, others are finding a solid home in the faith. The global church is moving toward a more conservative future. According to the Daily Citizen, liberal mainline denominations are in a steep decline. Conversely, conservative evangelical churches are expanding at a remarkable rate.
Glenn T. Stanton observes that “Nearly all the growth in Christianity in the United States and around the world today is among the more conservative and historically, biblically faithful churches.” He adds that “It is the liberal, biblically compromising churches that are hemorrhaging members by the millions.” This shift is not just happening in Protestant circles. It is also clear in the Catholic Church.
Younger Catholic priests are far more conservative than older ones. Ryan Burge, a statistician at Washington University in St. Louis, shared the numbers. Among priests ordained before 1975, 61% were politically liberal. Of those ordained in 2010 or later, 51% are politically conservative. Essentially zero new priests identify as “very liberal.”
This strong faith is also visible in the public square. Comedian Theo Von recently featured WNBA star Sophie Cunningham on his podcast. Cunningham, who was raised Catholic, now calls herself a nondenominational Christian. Von was told by her, “I rely a lot on my faith because of what I do for a living.”
She explained that her faith keeps her stable despite the hate and praise she receives. “I don’t care what people’s opinions are about me because I’m not living for their praise.” Cunningham has faced criticism for her views on women’s sports and has been called a “MAGA Barbie.” Yet she says being a woman of God lets her walk into rooms with her shoulders back.
When Von expressed frustration with his own sporadic spiritual journey, Cunningham offered him grace. She said, “There’s nothing that you can or can’t do that’s going to separate you from God’s love and grace and forgiveness.” She told him that Jesus knew everything he would do before he did it. The path forward is to read the Bible and represent that truth well.
